The Chatham-Kent Hospice hosted an open house for the public this past weekend and over 4,000 people took the opportunity to tour the new 10-bed residential hospice.
“It was heartwarming to have such a tremendous response to our Open House and even better to see and hear everyone’s appreciation for the thought and care that went into the construction of our community’s hospice,” said Jennifer Wilson, chair of the Chatham-Kent Hospice board of directors.
The building was designed by ROA Studio and constructed by Westhoek Construction Ltd both of Chatham. Highlights of the design include a Central Courtyard with a reflecting pool and waterfalls; state-of-the art resident suites; Reflection Room and Great Room and kitchen.
In addition to the clinical staff made up of doctors, nurses and personal support workers, there are over 120 volunteers trained and ready to serve in a variety of roles and approximately 80 waiting to complete their training.
The construction of the new facility was made possible through the generosity of the community and Chatham-Kent = Hospice will continue to rely on donations to cover operating expenses.
“We receive funding from the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) to cover the cost of our clinical staff but all other costs including utilities, groceries and program supplies will be covered by fundraised dollars,” said Jodi Maroney, director of development for the Chatham-Kent Hospice.
Chatham-Kent Hospice will begin accepting residents this week.
